Helen's Taxes, Visalia, and Way Too Much to Eat -- February 28 - March 4, 2003

^{This trip is rated 5 dollars out of 5 on the IRS Wealth Abatement-o-meter.}

It was the time of year to once again head down to Mama Helen's for another Wealth Abatement Adventure.  The main reason for the trip was to help her prepare for her Monday morning appointment with her tax guy, and then recover from same.  She had gotten a head start organizing deductions and whatnot with the help of her friend Frank, so we were able to spend the weekend goofing off, but only after a visit Friday evening to El Amigo Burrito down on Stevens Creek Blvd, for some of the best Mexican food in California.

Here we are closing in on the ol' Amigo.  The surroundings belie the quality to be found therein.

The diners were lined up 3 deep, or 3 wide, depending on one's perspective.

A couple of hungry gringos eager to order and get eatin'.

Arrrrrggggg - a real gut-bomb.  The famous Amigo Burrito.  Whew...

Saturday AM we headed south on old Highway 99 to Visalia to visit cousin Sam and cousin-in-law Marie, and headed out to lunch - Sam and David in Sam's 1960 Morgan, and the ladies following in a more civilized conveyance.  

We drove up into the mountains toward Sequoia National Park under threatening, then rainy, skies, to the town of Three Rivers and dined on the back deck at the Gateway Restaurant and Lodge overlooking the river.

After a hearty meal, we stopped in at Reimer's Candy Factory for dessert, then went back to Visalia for a pleasant dinner and evening at Sam and Marie's.  Following a leisurely breakfast Sunday morning, we drove over to Exeter for an equally leisurely lunch and some antique hunting.  We did not lose any weight on this trip...

Just outside of Lemoore on the way back to Helen's - we were there at the height of the fruit tree blossoms.  We ended up back at El Amigo Burrito that night for another round of good Mexican grub, then spent Sunday PM getting Helen's tax stuff arranged in her traditional plastic dish pans, and at 9:00 Monday AM we arrived at Frank B. Lloyd's to do our duty.  We got through it somewhat poorer, but happy that it was over till next year.  

Then a grueling, multi-hour shopping expedition at the Valley Fair Mall, followed by dinner at Black Angus in Sunnyvale with Frank and traveling companion Geri, followed, of course, by dessert at B&R on the way home.  Just what we needed after eating non-stop all weekend.

Tuesday AM shopped some more, picked up the completed tax forms at noon, stopped in at "The Noodle Place" for yet more food, sorted out all the quarterly estimated state and federal tax payments for Helen, then to the airport.  Can't wait to do it all over again next year.